A Pokemon Mary Sue Litmus Test
by Mary Sue Militant
Summary: This is very old and predates White and Black. I think. If I update, will not be often or extensively, because I have largely lost interest in this fandom.
1. Author Notes

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokemon and I did/do not make/own the Mary Sue Litmus Test. All the stuff here is just what _I_ think. There is no third choice to any of these questions. If you _think_ that the description fits, then add the points, leave a review and I'll get to it.

Yeah, I know it isn't the greatest thing ever. If people review and tell me what can be fixed though, I'll do it right away. I admit, towards the end, my brain ran dry.

**8/23/09 Update: **I realized that the numbering disappeared on me when I posted this. Also raised point values for unusual Pokemon and canon related questions.

**9/11/09 Update: **I added the summary questions and changed the rating scale.

**9/22/09 Update: **I added more 'Love Interest' questions, edited the 'Pokemon' questions, added questions to 'Species/ Transformations', edited questions in 'Family/Childhood', and edited questions in 'Appearances' Also changed the rating scale once again.

**4/6/11 Update: **I took out the rant I had along with Question 3 of the "Summary" section. Question 4.A.b in 'Species/ Transformations' has been changed to include all Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Games. Also modified questions to fit Pokemon Black and White and added a few questions.

**7/5/11 Update: **Most notably, I have divided the test up into different chapters. I feel that this way, it makes it easier for me to edit. I also changed the commentary next to the scorings, but otherwise left the scoring unchanged. I have added and changed questions to the 'Character' section.


	2. Section One Names

**Names:**

**1. Is your character named after you? +1 point.**

A. Is the name a different spelling of your own name? **+1point**

B. Is the name a nickname that you have? **+1point**

**2. Does your character have a name that you like? +1point**

A. Is it a name that you wish you had? **+1point**

**3. Is your character named after a noun or adjective? +1point**

A. Is it common to find characters named after nouns or adjectives in the universe your story takes place? **-1point** (Ex. In the manga, the trainers are named Blue, Yellow, Green, Gold, Silver, Crystal, etc.)

B. Does it have to do with the type of Pokemon that your character trains or interacts most with? **+1point**

C. Does it have anything to do with any ability or disability that your character has? **+1point**

D. Is it ironic? **+1point**

E. Is your character a gym leader or frontier brain who is named after the type of Pokemon he or she trains? **-1point** (Ex. Morty- Death - Ghosts. Falkner - Falconer - Birds)

F. Is it in accordance with the prophecy? **+2points**

G. Is it so that your character's name matches with the name of his or her soulmate? **+2points**

**4. Is he or she named after a character already or was in a Pokemon** **anime/movie/manga/game?** **+1point**

A. Is it a different form of or a nickname of a character already or was in the anime/movie/manga/game? **+1point**

B. Is it intentional? **+1point**

C. Is your character often confused with another character because of how similar their names are? **+1point**

**5. Is your character named after an already existing character from a manga/anime/movie/game besides Pokemon? +1point** (Ex. Naruto)

A. Is your character the reincarnation of that character? **+2points**

B. Does the manga/anime/movie/game exist in your character's universe as just and only that? **-1point** (Ex. Naruto is a TV show and Super Smash Bros. is a video game in the universe your character is in, etc.)

C. Is your character the opposite of the character he or she was named after? **+1point**

D. Does your character have the same abilities/disabilities/preferences as the character he or she is named after? **+1point**

**6. Is your character's name an oddly spelled form of a name or object? +1point**

A. Is your character's name often misspelled or miss said? **+1point**

**7. Is your character's name a **_**word**_** in a different language that has something to do with their personality or the Pokemon they train? +1point** (I don't mean if it's a regular name with a meaning. I mean if your character's name is something like a word you looked out of a language dictionary.)

**8. Is your character named after a person that exists in real life? +1point**

A. Is it someone famous? **+1point**


	3. Section Two Appearances

**Appearances:**

**1. Does your character look like you? +1point**

**2. Do you wish that you looked like your character? +1point**

**3. Does your character have an **_**identical **_**twin? +1point**

A. Are they often confused? **+1point**

a. Despite gender differences? **+1point**

b. Is it impossible for anyone, including your character's love interest, to tell them apart? **-2points**

B. Does your character have multiple look-alikes?** +1point or +4points **(Add 1point if you have already added points from part A of question 3 of this section. Add 4points if you have not.)

**4. Does your character look like an already existing character in a Pokemon anime/movie/manga/game? +2points**

A. Is he or she often mistaken for that character? **+2point**

B. Are they long lost twins? **+4points**

C. Is one of them a clone? **+4points**

**5. Does your character look like an already existing character from an anime/movie/manga/game besides Pokemon? +1point**

A. Is he or she that character's twin? **+1point**

B. Are they long lost twins? **+2points**

C. Is one of them a clone? **+2points**

**6. Can your character's hair or eye color change? +1point **(Don't add the points if your character is something like a Ditto or the morph of a Ditto.)

**7. Now, we all know that in the Pokemon world there are odd hair colors. Does your character have an even more unusual color of hair? +1point **(Ex. Your character has rainbow colored hair. However, this does not apply if your character is something like a Kecleon morph or a Kecleon)

**8. Does your character look like someone in real life? +1point**

A. Is that person famous? **+1point**

**9. Do you jump at every chance you get to tell how beautiful/handsome or ugly your character is? +1point**

A. Does your character deny being beautiful/handsome every time she/he is complimented? **+1point**

**10. Does your character dress the way you like to? +1point**

**11. Does your character dress like a celebrity that you admire? +1point**

**12. Is your character overweight and stays that way? -4points **(I applaud anyone who's character actually fits this description. Best way to kill a Sue is to make it extremely overweight, which no one does, of course.)

**13. Is your character awkwardly short or tall and constantly lands into trouble because of it? -2points **


	4. Section Three Species And Transformation

**Species/Transformations:**

**1. Was your character born a Pokemorph? +1point **

**2. Is your character a Pokemorph in a universe where Pokemorphs are either common or are known to exist?** **-1point**

A. Is your character a Pokemorph of a legendary Pokemon? **+4points**

B. Is your character the Pokemorph of Darkrai, Arceus, Giratina, Dialga, Palkia, Ho-oh, Lugia, Cresselia, Celebi, Mewtwo, Mew, Reshiram, or Zekrom? **+10points**

C. Is your character a morph of multiple legendary Pokemon? **+10points**

D. If your character is not a morph of a legendary Pokemon, is it a morph of more than one Pokemon? **+4points**

**3. Did your character become a Pokemorph unnaturally? +1point**

A. Was it the result of an experiment? **+1point**

B. Was your character gifted with the power to become a morph from a legendary Pokemon? **+2points**

C. Was your character mysteriously turned into a morph as a result from contact with a Pokemon or unknown object? **+1point**

**4. Is your character a Pokemon that became a human or a human that became a Pokemon? +1point**

A. If your character is a human that became a Pokemon, is your story set in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon? **-1point** (Even if the answer to this question is a no, move on to the next question.)

a. Did your character become a Pokemon as the result of a wish, experiment gone wrong, or interaction with a mysterious object, person, or Pokemon? **+1point**

b. Did your character lose his or her memory? **+1point **(Do not add a point if the story follows the plot of any Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Game.)

c. Did your character die and become reborn as a Pokemon? **+1point**

B. If your character is a Pokemon that became a human, is your story set in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon? **+1point **(Even if the answer to this question is no, move on to the next question.)

a. Was your character sent into the human world? **+1point**

b. Could your character still the moves that he or she had before becoming human? **+1point**

c. Did your character lose his or her memory? **+1point **

d. Did your character die and become reborn as a human? +**1point**

**5. Is your character a creature of fantasy? +2points**

A. Is your character a vampire? **+2points**

a. Does your character have anything to do with the book/movie Twilight? **+4points**

B. Is your character a werewolf? **+2points**

C. Is your character a mermaid? **+2points**

D. Is your character a fairy or spirit? **+2points**

a. Is your character a deity or personification of any sort? **+10points**

**6. Is your character from another planet, universe, or time? +2points**

**7. Is your character a Smeargle morph? +2points** (Now, this question is here because the only move Smeargle can learn is Sketch which can permanently copy _any_ move. Imagine a Smeargle that knows Roar of Time, Spacial Rend, Shadow Force, and Judgment. All of those are moves unique to Dialga, Palkia, Girantina, and Arceus respectively unless you got one of those special Darkrai or Arceus from a movie give away.)


	5. Section Four Family And Childhood

**Family/Childhood:**

**1. Is your character the victim of child abuse? +1point**

A. Is your character the victim of rape? **+1point**

**2. Does your character constantly whine about the past? +1point**

**3. Was your character ever abducted as a child? +1point**

A. Was your character returned to his/her family? **-1point**

**4. Were your character's parents killed by something other than a natural cause? +1point **(Earthquakes, mudslides, etc. count as natural causes.)

A. Were they killed for their wealth? **+1point**

B. Were they killed for revenge? **+1point**

C. Was the killer ever found and jailed or executed? **-1point**

a. Was it a one man job? **-1point**

D. Did your character kill his or her own parents? **+1point**

**5. Was your character hated by his or her own family/parents? +1point**

A. Was it because his or her mother was the victim of rape? **+1point**

B. Was it because your character's mother died giving birth to him/her? **+1point**

**6. Is your character illegitimate? +1point** (Don't add a point if you answered yes to question 4.A of this section.)

**7. Was your character born into a rich family? +1point**

A. Is your character the sole heir of the family's fortune? **+1point**

B. Was the family bankrupted? **-1point**

**8. Is your character related to any canon character? +1point**

A. Is it a major canon character? **+4point **(Ex. Anyone who has traveled with Ash.)

B. Is it Ash? **+6points**

a. Is your character Ash's offspring or sibling? **+4points**

b. Is your character the long lost relative of Ash? (No, his father does not count as a long lost relative. I'm sure I saw somewhere that his father is mentioned at least once in Pokemon Red, Blue, or Yellow.) **+4points**

**9. Did your character run away from home? +1point**

A. Was it because his or her family wouldn't let him or her be a Pokemon trainer/coordinator/ranger? **+1point**

B. Was your character taken in by a Pokemon Champion, Elite Four Member, Gym Leader, Team Aqua/Magma/Cipher Admin, Team Rocket Officer, Ribbon Cup Winner, Team Galactic Commander, Pokemon Ranger, one of Team Plasma's goddesses, or one Team Plasma's sages? **+2points**

a. Was your character taken in by Ash? **+4points**

C. Did your character fake his or her own death? **+1point**

D. Is your character a Joy or Jenny that ran away because she didn't want to be a nurse or officer? **+1point**

**10. Was your character ever disinherited? +1point**

**11. Was your character blamed for things that were not his/her fault? +1point**

**12. Is/Was your character a villain? +2points**

**13. Was your character ever saved by a legendary Pokemon? +4points**

A. Was the Pokemon a Darkrai, Arceus, Giratina, Dialga, Palkia, Ho-oh, Lugia, Cresselia, Celebi, Mewtwo, or Mew? **+2points**


	6. Section Five Love Interests

**Love Interests:**

**1. Is your character in love with more than one person? +1point**

**2. Does your character end up with more than one person? +1point**

**3. Is more than one person in love with your character? +1point**

**4. Is your character in love with a canon character? +1point**

A. Is it a major canon character? **+4points **(Ex. Anyone who has traveled with Ash.)

a. Is it Ash? **+6points**

b. Is it Brock? **-4points**

**5. Is a canon character in love with your character? +1point **(Don't add a point if you answered yes to question 3 of this section and the it's the same canon character.)

A. Is it a major canon character? **+4point **(Ex. Anyone who has traveled with Ash)

a. It is Ash? **+6points**

b. Is it Brock? **-4point**

**6. Is a villain in love with your character? +2points**

A. Does the villain convince your character to be one too? **+1point**

**7. Is your character in love with a villain? +2points**

A. Does your character convince the villain to reform? **+2points**

**8. Is your character a villain who's fallen in love with the hero/heroine? +2points**

A. Does your character convince the hero to be a villain? **+2points**

**9. Is your character a villain that the hero/heroine has fallen in love with? +2points**

A. Does the hero/heroine convince your character to reform? **+2points**

**10. Has your character fallen in love with someone already with a girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse? +1point**

A. Did they end up with the person anyway? **+2points**

**11. Is your character's love unrequited? -4points**

**12. Has your character ever nursed their love interest back to health? +2points **(This really is overused…)

**13. Has your character ever been nursed back to health by their love interest? +2points **(This is overused too…Not that there's anything wrong with it…)

**14. Does your character fall in love and admit his or her feelings for another character before Chapter 10?** **+3points** (Don't add the points if your story is either a oneshot or if your character already knew his or her love interest before the story started.)

**15. Is your character a Pokemon who falls in love with a human or a human who falls in love with a Pokemon? +1point **(Don't add the point if your story is set in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and your character is or is in love with the heroine or hero of PMD.)


	7. Section Six Pokemon

**Pokemon: (For this whole section, any question asking if your character 'has' a Pokemon is changed for characters that are Pokemon Rangers. For Pokemon Rangers, change the question so it asks if your character has **_**befriended **_**a Pokemon.)**

**1. Did your character start off with any Pokemon besides the regular starters? +2points **(Don't add the points if your character is from Orre or either of the ranger regions.)

A. Was it a Pokemon from a different region? **+1point**

B. Was it a Pikachu? **+2points**

a. Was it Ash's Pikachu or one of its siblings, friends, or offspring? **+2points**

**2. Does your character have a shiny Pokemon? +2points **(Don't add the points if your character's only shiny Pokemon is a legendary, add them in question 2.A of this section.)

A. Does your character have a shiny legendary Pokemon? **+4points **

B. Does your character have multiple shiny Pokemon?** +2-4points** (Add two points for each shiny Pokemon and four for each shiny legendary. The points you have already added in question 2 and 2.A don't count.)

**3. Does your character have a legendary Pokemon? +2points **(Don't add the points if at least one of the legendary Pokemon you have is shiny and you already added the points in question 2.A of this section.)

A. Does your character have multiple legendary Pokemon? **+2points** (Add two points for each legendary but don't add any points for shiny legendary Pokemon that were already counted in question 2. this section.)

**4. Does your character have a Ho-oh or Lugia? +4points** (Points added from question 2, 2.A, 2.B, 3, and 3.A of this section don't count for the entirety of question 4 from this section.)

A. Does your character have a Mew or Mewtwo? **+4points**

B. Does your character have a Giratina, Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai, Cresselia, Reshiram, or Zekrom? +**6points**

C. Does your character have an Arceus? **+10points**

**5. Can your character understand his/her Pokemon and always get his/her point across? +1points **(Don't add any points for the whole of question 5 of this section if your character is a psychic or if the Pokemon are psychic.)

A. Can your character understand other people's Pokemon? **+1point**

**6. If your character is a Pokemon Ranger, can he/she easily befriend wild Pokemon without a capture stylus? +1point **

A. Because of that, does your character intentionally not carry around a capture stylus? **+1point**

**7. Does your character have Pokemon that you made up? +4points **(Don't add the points if your story is set in a universe where made up Pokemon are known to exist.)

**8. Are your character's Pokemon oddly colored for some other reason besides diet, dye, or being shiny? +4points**

**9. Does your character have Pokemon that know moves that they aren't supposed to? +4points**

**10. Does your character have an **_**unusually**_** fat or lazy Pokemon? -2points **(I mean unusually for their species.)

**11. Has your character ever seen a legendary Pokemon before their journey? +2points**

A. Was the Pokemon a Darkrai, Arceus, Giratina, Dialga, Palkia, Ho-oh, Lugia, Cresselia, Celebi, Mewtwo, Mew, Reshiram, or Zekrom? **+1point**


	8. Section Seven Character

**Character: **

**1. Does your character have special powers or magic that few or no people have? +2point **(Add two points for each power.)

**2. Does your character carry around weapons or various devices that normal people wouldn't have? +2points**

A. Does your character carry around weapons like a bow and arrows, a sword, daggers, etc. that are out dated for the time period?** +2points**

B. Is there actually a legitimate reason for this? (Time travel, for example.) **-1point**

**3. Is your character a good singer? +1point**

**4. Can your character play a musical instrument? +1point**

A. Can your character play the shell-flute that Melody plays in the second Pokemon movie, The Power of One?** +2points**

B. Can your character play the leaf-whistle that Alice plays in the tenth Pokemon movie, The Rise of Darkrai? **+2points**

**5. Can your character cook well? +1point**

A. Did your character teacher him or herself? **+1point**

**6. Does your character have a hobby or job that you picked specifically because you thought it was cool? +1point**

**7. Is your character good friends with a canon character? +1point**

A. Is it a major canon character? **+4points **(Anyone who has traveled with Ash)

a. Is it Ash? **+6points**

**8. Is your character cold, cruel, or antisocial for no reason? -1points**

A. Does it stay that way throughout the story? **-2points**

B. Is your character the villain? **+2points**

**9. Did your character begin their journey at a different age other than ten? +1point**

A. Did your character start their journey below age ten? **+1point**

**10. Is your character a Pokemon League Champion or Ribbon Cup Winner? +2points **(Orange League and Wallace Cup counts.)

A. Multiple leagues/cups? **+1point **(Add one point for each)

B. At an age ten or below? **+2points**

C. Above age thirteen? **-1point**

**11. Is your character a member of the Elite Four? +1point**

**12. Is your character a Gym Leader? +1point**

**13. Is your character an Admin, Commander, or Officer of Team Aqua, Magma, the Cipher, Team Rocket, or Galactic? +1point**

**14. Is your character one of Team Plasma's goddesses or sages? +1point**

**15. Does your character fail to save someone who is never resurrected? -2points**

**16. Has your character ultimately fail to save the world? -2points **

**17. Has your character ever saved the world by himself/herself? +2points**

A. Multiple times? **+2 **(Add two points for each time.)

**18. Was your character sent back in time to save the world? +2points**

**19. Has your character ever saved the life of someone so close to dying that even the doctors gave up and said it was impossible to save the person? +4points**

A. Is your character a doctor? **-2point**

**20. Is your character famous for being the **_**best**_** of something? +2points **(Add two points for each.)

**21. Is your character liked by everyone he/she meets? +2points**

A. Even the villain eventually?** +4points**

**22. Is your character a famous Pokemon Ranger? +1point**

**23. Has your character never lost a single battle/capture/contest in his or her entire life? +3points**

**24. Is your character the only non-ambiguously good character in an organization of villains or people with questionable methods despite claiming to be working for a noble cause? +1points**

A. Is your character a high ranking member of said organization? **+2points**

B. Does your character manage to get away with disobeying orders that they know are wrong? **+1point**

a. Does your character get rightfully punished for his or her disobedience? **-2points**

C. Is your character extremely loyal to said organization despite everything else? **-1point**

D. Does your character manage to reform said organization by gaining supporters at an astonishingly fast rate through his or her when all of his or her supporters were formerly and solidly pro-organization? **+2points**

**25. Does your character frequently do amazing deeds, accomplish the impossible, or give the most tear-jerking or rousing speeches in front of people of great importance, power, or wealth and subsequently manage to impress them? +2points**

**26. Does your character always seem to have money despite the fact that he or she does not seem to have a job? +1point**

A. Does your character have a job which is mentioned once and then never is spoken of again? **+1point**


	9. Section Eight Summary

**Summary:**

**1. Does your story summary look similar to "(insert canon character) finds a mysterious (insert gender of OC) in (insert place). (insert action that takes place between them). But (insert OC) is not what (insert gender of OC) seems?" +5points **

**2. Does your story summary look similar to "(insert OC) was just an average (insert gender of OC) when (insert gender of OC) landed into the Pokemon world?" +2points**

**3. Does your story summary look similar to "(insert canon character) was (insert action or description). Then a mysterious (insert gender of OC) shows up and (insert canon character) finds (insert canon character gender of 'self') falling in love." +5points **

**4. Does your story look similar to "(insert character) (insert action). Now, (insert character) has to (insert either 'fulfill' or 'stop') the prophecy before it is too late." +3points**

**5. Does your summary contain the words: secret, mysterious, love, or save? +2points **(Do not add the points if you already added them for questions one through four of this section.


	10. Scoring

Under 18 points- _Breath! _It's not a Mary Sue.

18-50 points- It still looks alright.

50-100 points- This is a very dangerous place and you probably should to cut back some stuff right about now. We all know how amazing your character is but think of how amazing your character would be to conquer all of the same plot twists _without _all of those added abilities, traits, and shiny multi-legendary teams!

Over 100 points- Robotic Voice: Sue alert activated. A sue has breached the innermost reaches of an intelligent conscious. All units show no mercy to any transgressors! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!


End file.
